How Often Should a Car Air Filter be Changed?
When Should You Change a Car’s Air Filter?
Pardon us if this sounds familiar, but there is nothing more important to keeping your vehicle in peak condition than keeping up with regularly scheduled maintenance. The advantage of coming to a top-shelf facility like the Budds’ Chevy Service Department is that our team will know the right service intervals to perform certain tasks. However, if you’re more of a do-it-yourselfer, you might be wondering when you should change a car’s air filter. Most manufacturers suggest changing the air filter every 24,000 to 48,000 kilometres. Let’s take a look at some information you might need.
READ MORE: How Often Do Diesel Trucks Need an Oil Change?
It’s important to note that service intervals are the minimum guidelines issued by the manufacturer. You might need to change the air filter more often if you’re regularly driving in especially dirty or dusty environments.
What Does an Air Filter Do?
Internal combustion engines burn a mixture of air and fuel. The car’s air filter, appropriately, filters contaminants out before they get to the engine’s combustion chambers. Dirty air filters can cause the spark plugs to become fouled, which will cause engine problems and require potentially expensive repairs.
How Do I Know it’s Time to Change the Filter?
The quickest way to tell if it’s time to change the air filter is to look at it. If it’s covered in dust and dirt, it’s time to replace it. However, if you don’t take a look at the inside of the filter, there are some other signs your air filter might be done:
- Your car might lose some performance
- Fuel economy could suffer
- It will struggle to idle smoothly
Can I Pick Different Kinds of Air Filters?
If there is anything the automotive industry is good at, it’s offering car owners a lot of options. Different kinds of air filters are available to tackle different kinds of pollutants. Electrostatic filters use static electricity to trap smoke and other particles. Filters with charcoal or activated carbon can pull gas pollutants out of the air and remove bacteria, respectively.
If you need your air filters changed, or any other maintenance to keep your vehicle on the road where it belongs, make an appointment with the Budds’ Chevy Service Department today.